The Best of Friends
by Rainbow Haunting
Summary: Stinky liked Westerns and Sid liked cheesy horror movies. They couldn't be any more different but here they were, the best of friends.


The Best of Friends

By Rainbow Haunting

Stinky preferred Westerns over anything else. He loved the sweeping vistas, the intensity in the gunslingers' eyes as they drew their pistols, and the hero, who after saving the day, had to rove on forever in the desert, leaving his sweetheart behind in the dust. He tried explaining that bittersweet feeling to Sid once while they were hanging out in his family's living room after watching a favorite Western of his.

"I don't get it," said Sid after taking a swig of his yahoo soda. "Why do you like cowboy movies so much? I mean, I like the gun fights but the rest of it is so boring."

Stinky wasn't an eloquent speaker. It didn't bother him too much since he knew that emotions often times couldn't be captured with words. They needed to be felt to be understood. And he thought that maybe Sid did feel that sort of bittersweetness somewhere in that little heart of his, but not for this. So Stinky just shrugged his lanky shoulders.

"I think Westerns are pretty darn beautiful. It makes me all melancholic."

Sid scowled from his spot on the sofa and gave Stinky, who was sitting on the floor, a nudge with his foot. "What does that even mean? Melon-holic?"

"Melancholic. It means a sort of sad ache in your heart. Kind of like a memory that makes you all teary-eyed."

"So like that time when you opened the fridge and all your lemon pudding was gone? Is it like that?"

"Not really. I was just feelin' disappointed. Have you ever felt melancholy Sid?"

The other boy set his yahoo soda down beside Stinky as he thought for a minute. "I don't think so. I mean, I get sad but not that sort of sad." He took a embroidered throw-pillow and hugged it to his body, his eyes downcast. But only for a brief moment. He hit Stinky upside the head with the pillow and laughed. "Man Stinky, you know way too much of this grown-up stuff. You have to lighten up! And boy howdy I got just the thing for that!"

He pulled out a VHS tape that was stashed away between the cushions. With a big grin, he held up the tape for all to see. "Invasion of the Podpeople! I know you really like this one! Plus it's a classic!"

Well, it was more like Sid really like it. Stinky wasn't a huge horror fan but it was hard to say no to his friend's smile. That smile was one of things that convinced Stinky to get into all sorts of shenanigans with Sid and Harold. It got him in trouble more times than he could count. Not that he minded though. Sid always had his back as did Stinky, no matter how bad the circumstances.

* * *

It was about an hour into the movie. Sid had joined Stinky on the cabin floor and was inching closer as an ominous score warned the viewers of the hero's impending doom. As the hideous aliens began to emerge from their gooey pods, Sid snuggled up against the taller boy, gripping his shirt while his eyes were glued to the screen. Stinky jumped and Sid screamed when the pod people appeared from behind the hero, their tentacles ripping him apart limb from limb. The blood looked like red paint, but it unnerved Stinky enough that he had to close his eyes and turn his head towards his friend. "I'm gonna make us some popcorn. I'll be right back."

His sense of unease ebbed away once he stepped into the kitchen. One of the first things his Ma taught him to cook was popcorn. It was one of the easiest recipes he knew and the sound of the popping corn never failed to delight him. Turning on the stove, Stinky took out a pot, some oil, and a bag of popcorn kernels. After waiting for the stove to get hot enough, he added the oil and kernels. As the popcorn was beginning to pop, the soft sound of footsteps made their way into the kitchen.

"Smells pretty good." Sid walked up beside Stinky and took a look at the stove top. "I didn't know you can make popcorn that way. The microwave is a lot easier though. That's how my mom and dad make dinner."

"I reckon so. But my family always likes to do things the ol' Peterson way. We've been doing the same thing for generations and generations."

The popping of popcorn was the only sound heard for a couple of minutes. Stinky was too caught up in his blissful cooking to notice that Sid was fidgeting behind him. It was only after the popcorn was done and a stick of butter was added to the pot that Sid finally spoke up.

"Hey Stinky, you know what you said about being melancholic?"

"Yeah?"

"Well I'm kinda feeling like that right now."

Stinky turned down the heat from the stove and faced Sid. His eyebrows were furrowed in concern for his friend. "What are you feelin' sad about?"

Sid stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket and looked down, kicking at the dust bunnies on the wooden floor. "I'm getting older."

"Sid, we're all gettin' older."

"I know but me getting older is a problem. A big problem."

The shorter boy looked up at Stinky. "Yesterday I tried getting my feet into my beetle boots. And guess what? They don't fit anymore!" His face twisted into a look of total and utter despair. His body seemed to have gotten even shorter as he wilted under the weight of such a revelation. Stinky hadn't seen Sid this upset since the day he was mugged two months back.

"Aw Sid, don't you worry about it." Stinky gave Sid a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Your Ma and Pa can always buy you a new pair of boots."

Sid pulled away, tears beginning to welling up in the corner of his eyes. "No they can't because we don't have enough _money_! We never have enough money! Those beetle boots were given to me by my aunt for my birthday! And now I'm going to be left with hobo shoes for the rest of my life!"

Like a wet noodle, Sid sagged to the floor and began to cry hysterically.

Stinky crouched to the floor and put a gangly arm around his friend. "Wilkers Sid, there's nothin' wrong with livin' a humble life. I even reckon that it makes you a better person."

"Stinky, there's no point in being a better person if no one likes you! You've seen what my room looks like! You know how run down it is! If I start looking like that, no one will like me! Not Lorenzo, not Gino, not Rhonda, not anyone! You hear me, anyone!" He buried his head into Stinky's arm and sobbed, his tears quickly making the cotton fabric into a soggy mess.

"Sid? Hey Sid, listen." Stinky pulled away and held Sid by the shoulders so he could look directly into his eyes. "Me and Harold are your best friends and we don't give a hoot about how much money you have. You think a simple country boy like me cares about all that? All those other kids can stuff it if they don't care about you as a person like we do."

Sid took a couple of sniffs. Stinky could see something dawn on his friend as his crying stopped. "So if nobody likes me except you guys, you'll still be my friend? Even if I look like a hobo for the rest of my life?"

"Of course Sid. We're your best pals. Always will be no matter what, through thick and thin. And I reckon that if you ever wind up livin' in some kind of trash heap, Harold and me will be living there right beside you."

Sid threw his arms around Stinky in a hug and Stinky returned the hug right back. "Man, I feel so stupid now. I already got the best friends a kid could ask for. But uh, you really don't mind that I won't be wearing my beetle boots?"

"Nope. It don't matter none to me."

Sid pulled away, looking a bit sheepish. "So you wanna go back to watching the movie?"

Stinky picked up the smaller boy and placed him on the counter. He sat beside him and brought the pot of popcorn between them. "I was thinkin' more like we can eat some of this popcorn here and you can tell me some of them scary stories you like so much?"

Sid's smile, innocent with just a hint of trouble, returned in all its toothy glory. "Deal."

They might have had their differences, but Stinky Peterson considered Sid his best friend in the whole dang world. And he wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
